Top Audition Tips

[Big Bad Bari]

You have already made the first and biggest step and that is that you marched with a finalist DCA corps... Now comes the hard part... Find someone who has recently marched WC and get some "movement" lessons... Marching as we know it is a very different thing... It also wouldn't be a bad thing to be able to jazz run and play Ode to Joy as you can see PR doing on that video clip sight that is not to be named!

Musicality is not all that tough these days... it is the movement that kills most people trying to march a Top Tier Corps!

[crazymello]

Now comes the hard part... Find someone who has recently marched WC and get some "movement" lessons... Marching as we know it is a very different thing...

Depends on where in DCA you go....

[hornandsoccer]

if/when you intend to audition, email the caption head and appropriate tech and introduce yourself. being able to put a face to a name and story will make you more memorable, plus it shows you care about who you will (hopefully) be working with over the course of 9 or so months.

[Barifonium]

It also wouldn't be a bad thing to be able to jazz run and play Ode to Joy

*Firebird

Edited October 29, 2010 by Impuls!vebari

[wcmello09]

Hi all,

Just wondering if anyone has any top audition tips that they think has gave them the upper hand whilst auditioning for a corps? In no way am I trying to "cheat", I just don't have much knowledge of the audition process.

I'm strongly considering auditioning for my age out in a couple years time.

Cheers

through the magic of the interwebs, i figured out where you are planning on marching or at least i think i have. i would do a video audition this year, then keep in contact with the staff. repeat as needed. your sig says you have marching experience, experience with a champion corps, i would mention it.

finally, if you want to march there, s***... err...holes happen. keep in contact with staff throughout all winter months in case a hole opens up, then jump on it.

[azul]

You have already made the first and biggest step and that is that you marched with a finalist DCA corps... Now comes the hard part... Find someone who has recently marched WC and get some "movement" lessons... Marching as we know it is a very different thing... It also wouldn't be a bad thing to be able to jazz run and play Ode to Joy as you can see PR doing on that video clip sight that is not to be named!

Musicality is not all that tough these days... it is the movement that kills most people trying to march a Top Tier Corps!

I wouldn't go that far into saying that marching triumphs over music. I was able to go to several corps auditions before I marched where I did and was cut because my music score was lower than my marching score. Both go equally hand in hand. The last corps I marched, I trumped the music audition I feel. As for marching, most corps just hope you can keep your feet in time. If you're foot timing is pristine, they are able to teach you their marching technique.

Also, stay relaxed. The worse thing to do in any audition whether it'd be corps or anything else, you don't want to overload yourself mentally to where you make unnatural errors in your audition.

Another good thing is to ask the staff if there is anything you can do to get some sort of quick fix on the errors you might be making. They take note on you're willingness to get better faster to not only benefit yourself, but the corps as well.

Most of all, enjoy the experience while your there. Even if you don't make the corps, you can still make the best of the experience by making new friends and gaining new knowledge and experience that will benefit you later on in life.

Hope I've been helpful.

[VOReason]

Bring your checkbook.

[ArgonneRebel]

-Don't wear another corps shirts/jackets to the audition camp. I can't even begin to tell you how funny it was to watch kids walk into camp wearing another corps' stuff. It also pisses a lot of the vets off.

-In fact, don't wear stuff that gives a false impression of you. Sure, 'The Mutilated Skull Puppies' might be your favorite band, and their T-shirt with the blood and guts might be the COOLEST shirt ever...leave it at home.

-Don't be afraid to start a conversation with people, whether they're auditioning for the first time or they're aging out as a six year vet. Nobody is there to see you fail, so make friends! My seat partner in '09 and I got along so well because we were both rookies who made fast friends at winter camps. You never know who your best friend in the corps will be in six months, so meet them now!

-Have fun-enjoy the experience for what it is. Audition camps are hard, stressful, nervewracking...but at the end of the weekend, it's just drum corps, which you clearly have a passion for.

[actucker]

The best advice I would give you, especially if you've never been to a camp before, is to take a notebook, and after every block, write down every comment you can remember getting from a staff member, particularly the tech for your section. So much happens at those camps, that its sometimes hard to remember all of the feedback that you get. Now when you get home, you have a very specific list of things to work on, so that you can make the most of the time you have in between camps. In some of the bigger corps, they get a lot of people in to audition at the first few camps, so if they give you something to work on, they will want to see that you made improvement between camps. One of the first things they will do to weed people out is to eliminate anyone who didn't work on what they asked them for.

[3rd Glasgow BB]

I think waiting until your age out year is more than a little risky. Obviously I know nothing of your personal circumstances but if at all possible try to audition before you're age out year.

It won't matter at all that you're from the UK, we've been supplying talent to DCI for years!

Go for it!

Edited October 29, 2010 by 3rd Glasgow BB